The Milken Institute’s annual survey of Best Performing Cities said that San Antonio topped the list of 200 large metros, and Houston scored No. 1 among the 10 biggest U.S. metros.

Texas metros occupied four of the Top 5 positions (vs. three last year), and nine of the Top 25 (vs. 11 in 2010). Despite continuing national economic weakness, the Texas job machine continued to crank out employment gains: Its employers created one of every six new jobs in the United States in the year through October. (more…)

Bank of America recently announced it has reached its goal of boosting the number of finance jobs in San Antonio and around the nation.

Bank of America has doubled the number of Merrill Edge Financial Solutions Advisors (FSAs) to more than 1,000 nationwide by the end of 2011. With the addition of more than 280 new hires across Texas and Florida, more than 1,200 FSAs are now working in banking centers throughout the United States or in the Merrill Edge Advisory Center.

The hires are part of Bank of America’s overall commitment to enhance the solutions and guidance it offers to Preferred customers — those with investable assets of $50,000 to $250,000. These FSAs will provide the financial solutions and guidance customers need to help them manage their banking and investment needs and stay in better control of their finances.

“At the beginning of the year, we committed ourselves to enhancing our services and offerings to meet the complex needs of our Preferred customers,” said Dean Athanasia, Preferred and Small Business Banking executive at Bank of America. “By increasing the number of FSAs in banking centers and in the Merrill Edge Advisory Center, our customers have access to best-in-class banking and investment solutions, unmatched access and convenience and the availability of specialists when and where they prefer.”

Preferred customers are among the fastest-growing segments in the financial services industry. Bank of America does business with more than 8 million Preferred customers and has unrivaled insight into their financial needs. According to the Merrill Edge Report, some of the top priorities for Preferred customers include wanting a better retirement than their parents (85 percent), having access to both banking and investing solutions (73 percent) and maintaining the ability to track and manage their money (72 percent).

Nearly 65 FSAs added in Florida banking centers will serve customers in markets including Boca Raton, Ft. Lauderdale and Sarasota. In addition, approximately 155 FSAs were hired in the Merrill Edge Advisory Center in Jacksonville, bringing the FSA statewide total to more than 350. In Texas, more than 60 FSAs have been added to banking centers in 20 cities, including Austin, Dallas, Houston and San Antonio.